Tuition inflation has always been a subject that has fascinated me. How can our political system stand idly by as our public universities increase tuition at double the rate of inflation? How could a trend that is so harmful to the middle-class (I’m not even talking working class — nobody cares about them) stand stronger against the will of the people than even the most powerful Wall Street banks?
What is more fascinating is that nobody seems to have a definitive explanation for why students have to pay more and more every year. Liberals blame declining state support, while conservatives tend to place the blame on wasteful administration and high professor salaries.
All of these points inevitably show up in every discussion of the issue, in addition to an unavoidable observation about campus life these days: It’s a lot nicer.
Craver makes an excellent point. It seems that higher education is spending more and more on expensive student facilities. One might refer to it as an “arms race” for student dollars.
I agree that the “lavish” facilities for some, not all UW Wisconsin campuses are the cause of some of the steady climb of tuition. UW Madison has apx. 95 construction projects going on today and other state college have little to nothing. (example UWRF). UW Madison even has a “Kosher” dorm. I am not upset about this except for the fact that the tuition at UW Madison does not go up to cover these extreme amenities in relation to costs. At some of the other campuses they are cutting whole majors because they are not getting the students because of out dated dorms, classrooms. Eventually the teachers leave also. Every Wisconsin campus is unique and should be allowed the same access to the money pile when it comes to projects. I think that the change that went on in 1971-1972 to merge the two UW systems and Madison campus has allowed the Madison campus ALONE to get most of the monies. This is very unfortunate seeing 65% of the UW Madison graduates leave within six months of their graduation. Why are Wisconsin tax payers supporting this when most of their children and grandchildren are off the to other state colleges. The powers to be have lost sight of what higher education should be—to provide skilled workers that we hope will want to stay in the state and help us grow into the future. It has turned into a race to be one of the top 10 schools in the nation; I just wish the tax payers could benefit from that; and we don’t, because these skilled workers from the Madison campus leave. Also because cuts then have to be made within the “system” colleges like UWRF loose majors like to Food Science and Technology, now if you want to study this major the only campus you can get it at is UW Madison. Not every student wants to come to Madison and be taught by TA’s versus professors. The major being taught at UWRF is a great addition because of all the other Agriculture majors at the school, you also have 1/2 of the students coming to UWRF from the state of Minnesota.. This is a campus that is bring in money into the state. I am sure that every other state campus has a similar story to tell; they are “not” telling stories like the UW Madison campus where they debate a “second” athletic facility for non-athletic students. Go to the other campus’s where some don’t even have a football field, like River Falls. Anyone that does not see the huge gap of need verses luxury is blind or very self-serving. I feel that the “arms race” is already won by the UW-Madison campus alone. Will they grieve when the other state campus actually start to die?